different between enrich vs refine

English

Etymology

From Middle English enrichen, from Anglo-Norman enrichir and Old French enrichier.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n???t??/
• Rhymes: -?t?

Verb

enrich (third-person singular simple present enriches, present participle enriching, simple past and past participle enriched)

1. (transitive) To enhance.
2. (transitive) To make (someone or something) rich or richer. [from 14th c.]

   Synonym: endow

   Antonym: impoverish

3. (transitive) To adorn, ornate more richly. [from 17th c.]
4. (transitive) To add nutrients or fertilizer to the soil; to fertilize. [from 17th c.]

   Antonym: impoverish

5. (physics, transitive) To increase the amount of one isotope in a mixture of isotopes, especially in a nuclear fuel. [from 20th c.]

   Antonym: deplete

   Antonym: downblend

6. (transitive) To add nutrients to foodstuffs; to fortify
7. (chemistry) To make to rise the proportion of a given constituent.

Derived terms

• enricher
• enrichment

Translations

See also

• look out for number one
• every man for himself
• feather one's nest/feather one's own nest

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928) , “Enrich”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume III (D–E), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 198, column 2.

Anagrams

• Rhenic, incher, nicher, rhenic, richen

English

Etymology

re- +? fine

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???fa?n/
• Rhymes: -a?n
• Hyphenation: re?fine

Verb

refine (third-person singular simple present refines, present participle refining, simple past and past participle refined)

1. (transitive) To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.

2. (intransitive) To become pure; to be cleared of impure matter.
3. (transitive) To purify of coarseness, vulgarity, inelegance, etc.; to polish.

4. (transitive, intransitive) To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
5. (transitive) To make nice or subtle.

Related terms

• refinable
• refinement
• refiner
• refinery

Translations

Further reading

• refine in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• refine in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Feiner, enfire, ferine, fineer

Portuguese

Verb

refine

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
3. first-person singular imperative of refinar
4. third-person singular imperative of refinar

Spanish

Verb

refine

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of refinar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of refinar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of refinar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of refinar.